Mount Kilimanjaro Climb (Day 3)
From Shira camp, day three climbs several thousand feet of elevation even though the next camp (Barranco Camp) is only 500 feet higher. The route climbs to over 15,000 feet at Lava Tower only to drop back down 2,000 feet to Barranco Camp. The guides promote the day as climbing high but sleeping low. In realty, you are just using up your energy on a needless climb. Even the porters take a short cut to avoid climbing some of the needless elevation gain. This was a tough day since it rained almost the entire morning until it turned to snow near Lava Tower. It was cold and we didn�t have all our best cloths in our day bags. Scott was doing well and even climbed Lava Tower in some pretty miserable conditions. I was not well that night so I started taking Diamox and wow, that stuff fixed all the altitude issues I was having for the rest of the trip.
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Assistant guide Brayson
From Barranco Camp
Morning climb out of Shira Camp
Barranco Camp
Dropping into Barranco Camp
Our two tents and the eating tent at Barranco Camp
That time....when the sun came out
Lava Tower
The trail dropped between the two rock pillers
Picture at Lava Tower sign even though we did not sleep here
Snowing
Most of the day looked like this